OXFORD RIVER WALK - Sunday 17th July

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I think that it's high time that I posted about the Oxford River Walk, as mentioned on the rolling London walk thread.

Here's the plan: meet at Gloucester Green bus station, get the bus up to Wolvercote, have lunch, then walk along the Thames (Tim H would rather I didn't call it the Isis) to Iffley Lock, stopping off at the Head of the River for drinks en route. Then, boat back into the centre of Oxford from there.

So, who's in?

― MarkH (MarkH), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 16:33 (twenty years ago)

I'm festivaling that weekend! Can we not make it the weekend after? I REALLY want to come on this! Unless there's something uber-special about the 10th?

Ah man!

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 07:32 (twenty years ago)

omg roffle say hi to my old flat when u get off the boat.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 07:36 (twenty years ago)

nb, i think it becomes the thames just above iffley (ie where ther cherwell converges with the isis).

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 07:37 (twenty years ago)

Oh no, our first dissenter! Are any other weekends better for you, John? I really, really want to do this.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 10:50 (twenty years ago)

I would have liked to do this, but will be on my honeymoon I'm afraid :)

― Archel (Archel), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

This does sound like an excellent walk, but I am very lazy, as The Ambassador will attest.

― Alix with an i? (alix), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 12:01 (twenty years ago)

Any weekend in July other than that one! That weekend is, I think, T In The Park, and I need to sell blankets and hats to drunk/stoned festival goers!

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

SCOTTISH stoned and drunk festival goers. Rowr. (And Jesse suffering from hypothermia after hitchhiking to Scotland.)

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 12:25 (twenty years ago)

Rowr indeed. Scots accents rock. And West country, actually. And Welsh. Actually, all you ladeez rock.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 12:33 (twenty years ago)

Why oh why do I have such an unsexy accent? :-(

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 12:36 (twenty years ago)

Who said you had an unsexy accent? I thought your accent's sexiness was so obvious that to mention it would be over-statement!

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

Can we please please try for the 17th July so that Emsk and Johnney can come, too? Please?

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

...oh you great self facilitating media node, you?

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 16:12 (twenty years ago)

OK! 17th it is then!

Do we still have important ppl called Moderators who can change thread titles?

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

I have asked the powers that be!

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

cheers!

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

17th is better for me too, in that I could do it.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Are we still up for the plan of having a cycling contingent meeting the walkers?

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

The 17th's cool. I can dig it.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Thursday, 26 May 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

i should be ok for that..

I think.

― jellybean (jellybean), Thursday, 26 May 2005 09:55 (twenty years ago)

Hurrah hurrah hurrah! Now everybody can make it and I am pleased.

― The Square Root Of Negative Two (kate), Thursday, 26 May 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

yay brilliant! cycling contingent - i am up for this obv. i think perhaps 100 miles in a day is a little ambitious, not really for the distance, more for the opportunities of lostness. although ed is for sure a better map reader than duncan. perhaps we should do the cycling saturday and crash in oxford sat night?

― emsk, Thursday, 26 May 2005 15:59 (twenty years ago)

don't worry, Jill, Truck's the week after!

― MarkH (MarkH), Sunday, 29 May 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

iknow.. then i'll be in the far east the weekend after that..
busy, busy summer...

― jellybean (jellybean), Sunday, 29 May 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

Should we start organising this?

Ed says he wants to cycle up on Saturday the 16th. I will be lazy and take the bus so that I can partake in the Saturday night FAPtion. And then walk with a screaming hangover the next day.

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 10:47 (twenty years ago)

ooh ed i am interested in the cyclin part too. i have the thames valley cycle route london to oxford map don't buy one. unless you want to do a different route (this might be a good idea actually). also dogs are playing at the zodiac that night, i might try and go to that. please oxford people can i borrow a patch of floor/sofa? (or perhaps i can stay at the truck house.) (actually, that might not be such a good idea.)

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

(I probably shouldn't advertise this, but JB said we could stay at his house. I am sure you would be included in that invite.)

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 10:55 (twenty years ago)

i think i am up for this also!! i haven't back even NEAR since like 1985

i am psyched since i reread GAUDY NIGHT

http://www.allenandunwin.com/images/CoverImages/0563494093.jpg

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 4 July 2005 10:57 (twenty years ago)

What happens on Gaudy Night, Mark?

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 10:58 (twenty years ago)

i'm sure you'll enjoy it mark. alas for two very obvious reasons and a host of less obvious ones it would not be a good idea for me to participate in this :-(

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:04 (twenty years ago)

good grief what happened there?

(that was actually mark s' post, not mine)

what i meant to say to mark was that he'd enjoy it, but alas for two very obvious reasons and a host of less obvious ones it would not be a good idea for me to participate in this :-(

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:06 (twenty years ago)

Wee bit confused at surely the Head Of The Rover is the centre of Oxford. May well be convincable on this nevertheless.

― Pete (Pete), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:17 (twenty years ago)

?? that was weird!!

i said:
i think i am up for this also!! i haven't back even NEAR since like 1985
i am psyched since i reread GAUDY NIGHT

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/0563494085.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

I still want to know what happens on Gaudy Night. It looks spooky.

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:22 (twenty years ago)

everybody dresses up in lurid print mumus (boys) and spandex wrestling leotards and capes (girls) and lily savage makeup (all) and hats made of flock wallpaper with woolies golden bangles attached and runs around the graveyards after dark chopping up bodies.

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 11:30 (twenty years ago)

Shall we start planning now?

Cycling contingent to start in Ruislip. Going over the chilterns? rather than the river route.

Who is the cycling contingent?

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

Yes, people are quite welcome to floor space/ sofa space/ etc on Sat. night. We can have drinks, and watch bad sci-fi, and listen to obscure bubblegum, and I can make a curry! It'll be so much fun! Yay! I'm literally jumping for joy!

http://www.free-hit-counters.com/images/People/people%20jumping.jpg

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:43 (twenty years ago)

ed how big are the chilterns?

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

This big:

http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/regions/images/chiltern02.jpg

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:49 (twenty years ago)

is that the biggest one then? ok i am def in for this if it is. (unless you have to come up the other side that you can't see in this pic and it is this steep: /

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

They're quite big, but awfully pretty.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:51 (twenty years ago)

(I don't actually know if that is typical or just pretty.)

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

It looks like one has to gain about 80m in height to clear them, it's not too bad. Today or tomorrow I will investigate further in stamfords.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 12:04 (twenty years ago)

that is fine, s'long as you don't mind me being slooow up the hills. yay!

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

(Also, there is no apparent scale in that photo. Those could be bushes... or trees? We could do with a person or a cow or something in order to judge properly... or are you more concerned with the gradient than the full height?)

― MIS Information (kate), Monday, 4 July 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

I am still fairly slow on hills as well.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

both! i LOVE walking up hills but i only even *like* cycling up them if i can actually do it - a manageable challenge - ie none, haha - i like the feeling of being knackered when i get to the top but if i tip over and have to push up the hill it's no fun. for perspective, err brixton hill is next to nothing, but that bit of slope in swiss cottage on hilgrove road if you're coming from belsize road just before you cross finchley road is not enjoyable if you're not expecting it. if you are it's ok cos you can prepare. going up dulwich hill last august bank holiday was good. i like if you can see how far and how steep it is all the way to the top so you can judge accordingly.

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 12:16 (twenty years ago)

three maps to cover london to oxford, at 1:25,000 rather bizarrely 4 at 1:50,000, damn you OS and your methods of selecting map boundaries. Three times as many opportunities for tittering at places such as Grimsdyke.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

emsk, if you come to Shimura curves I shall bring maps and we can plot.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 12:57 (twenty years ago)

ed bah i can't, i am out of town from thurs night til mon morning. next week perhaps though?

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

that is next week.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 13:01 (twenty years ago)

or do you mean next week?

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 13:03 (twenty years ago)

except shimura cuves is this weekend. I'm confused now.

― Ed (dali), Monday, 4 July 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

i thought shimura curves was this sunday, 10th? i am away thurs 7th til mon 11th. this week i have stuff every night. next week i am free tho.

― emsk, Monday, 4 July 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

Everyone is away, including half our band. There is going to be NOBODY THERE at this gig. Except Ned. Oh god, the fear, the fear now.

― MIS Information (kate), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 06:41 (twenty years ago)

why don't you have ed shake a tambourine or something? he's got pretty hair...

― colette (a2lette), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

and a very poor sense of rythmn

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

I am flattered though, the adjective most often used to describe my hair is 'smelly'.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 11:34 (twenty years ago)

are the plans still the ones posted by mark on the top of this page? I should be ok for this

― jellybean (jellybean), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

Errrr... yes. We might be doing some drinking on Saturday night, as well, but that's not very organised.

― MIS Information (kate), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

Bump.

Who's still up for a walk and talk? Chances are it'll be a little more subdued than we planned (I for one aren't up for anything TOO mad) but even so, a nice river walk would be good.

Also, for anyone who wants to come down Saturday and do stuff and stay over at mine, that's cool too - I've got a sofa bed and I'm not afraid to use it. I can make curry and everything!

Yes?

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

As I said in email, I wouldn't mind getting out of London this weekend. I'll probably be heading up on the Saturday afternoon, doing touristy stuff and then walking on Sunday.

― MIS Information (kate), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:44 (twenty years ago)

Cool - as soon as you know when you're coming, drop me an email at home (john.barlow@TAKETHISBITOUTzen.co.uk) and I'll come along and getcha. Don't try phoning me - my phone has died and I haven't bought a new one yet.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 13:48 (twenty years ago)

Argh - I have no email at home! I was planning on just waking up when I wake up, then rolling out of bed and turning up to the Oxford Tube and messaging you once I got on the bus. Are we going to have to carefully plan now?

― MIS Information (kate), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh dear . . . well . . . um . . . .

Message me. I'll put my SIM in my mate's spare phone so at least you'll be bale to get hold of me that morning. Yes, there's the answer.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 14:14 (twenty years ago)

I don't know if I can make this at the moment. Somehow I've spent today at home with the Flu (in the summer???) So I don't know how well I'll be by the weekend.. I'll keep on eating vitamin Cs, so hopefully I can still make it.

― jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 17:07 (twenty years ago)

ooh get well soon, Jill!

messaging you once I got on the bus

I read this as 'massaging'.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

Wee bit confused at surely the Head Of The Rover is the centre of Oxford. May well be convincable on this nevertheless.

Head of the River is indeed in the centre of Oxford, hence it makes an ideal stopping off point in the middle of a walk from Wolvercote (north-west of Oxford) to Iffley Lock (south-east of Oxford). I did consider two other options, but the other two pubs we will pass on route, the Perch and the Watermans Arms are too close to the starting-point and too scuzzy, respectively.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

messaging you once I got on the bus

I read this as 'massaging'.

She's gotta pay the fare somehow.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

Oh dear indeed.

― MIS Information (kate), Thursday, 14 July 2005 06:44 (twenty years ago)

haven't decided re this weekend, I probably ought to spend some time with my family, I haven't in ages.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 14 July 2005 07:02 (twenty years ago)

I have been rescheduled to get my National Insurance number for Saturday at 1.30pm, so I will be getting the bus after that, and arriving in Oxford in the afternoon. Is that cool?

― MIS Information (kate), Thursday, 14 July 2005 09:52 (twenty years ago)

I can dig it. Shall I meet you in town? Text me when you're about 1/2 hr away.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Thursday, 14 July 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

I'll text you when I leave Victoria as I don't know the route well enough to know when I'm half an hour away... :-)

― MIS Information (kate), Thursday, 14 July 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

Nice. I'm down wit da urban flava.

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Thursday, 14 July 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

if there are people doing the walk i would like to do the walk with them.

― emsk, Thursday, 14 July 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

There's LOADS of people walking - well, at least three of us. FOur if we count you!

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Thursday, 14 July 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Emsk, are you going out on Saturday or Sunday? If Saturday, do you want to take the bus with me?

― MIS Information (kate), Friday, 15 July 2005 07:02 (twenty years ago)

yeah, bus on saturday i guess. urgh i just woke up and i just want to go back to bed and hide. it will be better tomorrow tho.

― emsk, Friday, 15 July 2005 08:00 (twenty years ago)

Yeh, come with me! Yay!

― Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Friday, 15 July 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Emsk: check yr email.

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 16 July 2005 11:11 (twenty years ago)

This was a good laugh! Emsk, Kate, Johnny and I had a lovely time walking along by the Thames. We met some very inquisitive cows and even went for a paddle in the river to cool our aching feet! We did miss the boat tho...literally! I'm up for some more walking soon! Maybe along the New River, which is actually a Very Old Canal!

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:28 (twenty years ago)

Yay, yes indeed, that was lovely. Sorry I did not report back earlier.

How strange, a childhood memory so old that it had become a dream... crossing a stone bridge near a pub, a vast field by a river with the ruins of a monastary in it... this dream has haunted me since I was very young. And there it was! We had walked there with my Godfather when I was a child.

The sun, the walk, the company, sitting on a riverbank under the trees, paddling in the water, sand beneath my feet, laughing and passing a bottle of wine back and forth - that was the closest thing to perfect happiness I have experienced in a long, long time.

Oh yes, and a cow sucked my thumb. (Not to mention the bicyclist who woke from his slumber to find he had become the God of Cows.)

Oh, I want a canalboat...

― Rum, Sodomy and the LAN (kate), Thursday, 21 July 2005 06:29 (twenty years ago)

and we formed a band (we formed a band)! we are spider maps, and our first ep is 'make an atonal racket'.

― emsk, Thursday, 21 July 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

oh yes! Spider Maps r0X0r!!!

― Rum, Sodomy and the LAN (kate), Thursday, 21 July 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

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